Kingdom Hearts: A Final Memory
by captainratchet
Summary: Most of the past has disappeared. Sora, the second Keyblade master, died while trying to finish his fight against the darkness. People thought the darkness had won, and gave up, but what happens when a new Keyblade Master is chosen? Find out here!
1. Prologue: The Keyblade Returns

**Kingdom Hearts: A Final Memory**

**May it be noted that I in no way own the rights to Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Final Fantasy, or anything Disney. Now that that is out of the way, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…I give you…Kingdom Hearts: A Final Memory!**

**Authors Note: This is written after Sora's eventual death. The worlds have lived in peace and prosperity again, and all is right. The young man in the prologue plays a huge part in this story. Also, nothing Disney makes an appearance in this story.**

**Part I**

**Prologue: Return of the Keyblade:**

**All my life, I've stood on the sidelines and watched everyone else be the hero. I am but a young boy, who was oblivious to the fact that one day, I too, would have to save everyone I ever cared about, and people I never even knew existed. But now, I was more concerned about getting a new bike. Infinity City is a huge place. I was born there; therefore, I know that world the best. Not being old enough to get tickets for the Rail Shooter, the trains that can take you across town, I had to walk. And let me tell you, walking in this town is not fun. **

**The streets are overcrowded, and the people are as rude as can be. I could already tell when I found out what I know now, that this city would be hard to save. Infinity City is the exact opposite of peace, chaos. I had finally saved enough for that bike, and was on my way to pick it up. I knew a shortcut that would take me to the shop a little fast, so I darted down a narrow alley. I turned a corner, and someone behind me picked me up as easily as if I was a rag doll. I cocked my head, and saw a burly looking guy with a knurly face, and fierce red eyes. I knew who this was. Not by name, but by the tattoo on his left forearm. A single arrow, shot between to eyes. He was a member of the Dread Gang.**

**The Dread Gang. There were a bunch of guys you never want to meet. They ruled the underbelly of this festering city with an iron fist. Their leader was a mysterious man. Every time someone neared his hideout, he would move, in secret, to a new one. The gang life was a tough life, by the looks of it. The Dread's weren't nice guys. They would slowly knife you to death, just to get a few drops of Munny. I kicked my way free, and started to run, but the goon wasn't following me. Interested to know why, I turned, and saw him writhing on the ground. Surely my kick wasn't that strong, was it?**

**He twisted and turned, and then, as suddenly as it started, he looked up, his eyes a soft pulsing yellow, and his skin slowly fading to the color of the shadows. His clothes remained. It was like seeing through the looking glass, and finding hell. He slid towards me. Not a walk, a slide, and chased me through the maze of buildings. I turned another corner and came face-to-face with…a brick wall. Desperate to find something to defend myself with, I looked around and spotted a steel rod. I picked it up, and backed into a corner, giving him the edge. Oops. He lunged, and I lashed out, it hit him, but he still came sailing towards me, I guess I should call it an it. Then, he froze, and the rod began to twist and writhe, and then, it took on the texture of Silly Putty, and became something else…a giant key. Now what in the hell am I supposed to do with a key? It was solid black with white lines meandering down the blade. At the bottom of the hilt was a keychain in the shape of a spike. I swung, and he unfroze.**

**I nailed him, and he went sailing back. I couldn't think of what to do, so I ran past him, and that is how my life began to unravel…**


	2. The Keyhole and and the Darkness

**Kingdom Hearts: A Final Memory**

**May it be noted that I in no way own the rights to Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Final Fantasy, or anything Disney. **

**Authors Note: Since the Prologue took up Chapter I's slot, I am combining chapter I and II into one chapter to get all the other chapter's on track.**

**Chapter I: The Keyhole**

**I ran through the twisted alleyways of this dark city, and blasted into a full-on sprint down a narrow straightaway. I emerged in a bright square in front of a sky scraper known as Infinity Tower. The tower had another name. Memories Skyscraper. No one knew why it was called that, and the only one's that dead died a long time ago. They were the ones who sent the city into the darkness, so it was said. They perished in the darkness, but made sure the world would remember what had happened by erecting the skyscraper. **

**As I emerged in the square, I looked back and saw that the thing was gone. Later, I found out that that thing was something called a "Heartless", whatever the heck that was. But now, I was relieved, until something to my right caught my eye. A dark portal to somewhere opened up in front of the tower, and when it disappeared, the "Heartless" stood in its place. The strange creature raised its hands, and a veil of darkness descended from the heavens and enclosed Forever's Square.**

**The creature turned its eyes on me, and slid closer. I swung and struck it, and the Heartless let out a high pitched scream. My ears rang, and I covered my ears and dropped to one knee, wincing from the pain. The Heartless leapt over and struck, but something blocked it. I saw a little man with a black goatee drill through part of the shadowy wall and strike the creature, throwing it back. The Heartless picked itself up, and made a gesture, and then split itself into two identical ones. One went for the little man, who I must point out had a giant Key almost identical to mine, except it was white with black jagged lines. The little man struck, and I smiled, and turned, but the other Heartless were gone.**

**I looked around, and then fell to the ground. One heartless was on my back, tearing into my skin with its little claws, its teeth gnashing. My Key spun out of my reach, and I was helpless. I couldn't help but to think my life was over right then and there, and, in essence, it was. My old life was over, and the life of the Chosen One was about to begin.**

**The man finished off his Heartless, and looked at me. He raised a hand, and fire came out. Let me write that again: FIRE came OUT of his hand. It knocked the Heartless off of me, and disintegrated it. **

"**Are you the new Keyblade Master? Prove it to me, kill the Heartless," he commanded in a grisly monotone.**

**I grabbed my "Keyblade," and swung. I knocked the Heartless aside, and swung again, this time sending it towards the veil, but, before it hit, the Heartless shattered like broken glass, and disappeared.**

"**Well, I see you have already met the Heartless," was all he could say.**

"**What did you say?" I asked, a little ticked that he was two-steps ahead of me. I stopped where I was walking.**

"**You know, Heartless. Those black creatures that'll steal your heart," the little man replied in an annoying, know-it-all voice. He looked at me, and I said:**

"**No, I don't know. That was the first 'Heartless' I have ever seen in my life. What the heck is going on?" I yelled back.**

"**Shhh," he shushed me. "Do you wanna attract more Heartless? That one there was a WEAK on compared to the others." He continued his march of a pace towards the black veil that surrounded Forever's Square.**

"**Just how do we get out of this?" I asked.**

**He didn't answer; instead, he raised his Key, and pointed it at the veil. He said a word that I couldn't hear, and the veil lifted, and disappeared into the night sky. He made a gesture at me and said: "We're on there turf now, follow me if you want to know what is happening." He hobbled off towards the skyscraper, and trudged up the gently curving staircase. He held his weapon to the door, and it unlatched and swung open.**

**I followed into what looked like a mausoleum. Cobwebs were every where, and ancient furniture and artifacts littered the room. He raised his weapon, pointed it to the ceiling, and bellowed," LIGHT!" Instantly the chandelier filled itself with bright light. The cobwebs melted away, and the room began to piece itself together, looking like it was brand new. "The light restored the room to its original state, now, we can go." The little man ascended a gently spiraling staircase up to the second level. I ran up the steps behind him, and saw him turn into a room. I entered, and what I saw, blew my mind.**

**Inside was a vast state room. Elegant paintings hung on the wall, and a huge dining table sat on the floor surrounded by chairs. The table was set up as if some one was about to eat a huge meal. He pulled up a chair and said," So you are the chosen one?" He looked me over and sized me up. "We have a lot of work to do."**

"**What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, a little hurt.**

"**You are weak, but so was Sora when he started out," he replied.**

"**Who is 'Sora?'?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face.**

"**The chosen one before you, your predecessor," he replied. "Now then on to the matters at hand. First of all, the Heartless. The Heartless are born of the darkness in ones heart. A Heartless acts on instinct alone. They flitter around the worlds, looking for hearts to collect. But each Heartless has one goal in mind: get the heart of the world, and return the world to darkness. Heartless are stupid, and would fight for your heart than go after others. You can defend your self, others can't." He looked at me, and nodded.**

"**But wait a minute! You said worlds! Does that mean there are other worlds than this one?" I asked, my mouth dry. I pulled a chair and weakly sat down.**

"**Yes. There are many worlds. It is your job as the Keybearer to travel to other worlds, and find the Keyhole. In some worlds you will have little opposition, but in others, there will be Key Guardians. Key Guardians are Heartless that emerge from the Keyhole when discovered. Should the heartless get the Keyhole, which leads to the heart of the world, the world will slowly fade into darkness, and then, it will disappear."**

**Oh man! That was a lot to take in! I just found out that it was my job to save all of existence from a race of demonic creatures called Heartless. Could my life get any worse!**

"**That Heartless out there," I started," Does it have a name?"**

"**Yes, each type of Heartless has a specific name. That one was called a Shadow Spawn. Shadow Spawns can multiply as you saw out there," he replied. "Shadow Spawns have to take over a persons mind and body to take physical form. If there is no one around, they emerge as lowly shadows, weaker forms, but greater in numbers."**

"**What about this world? Will I have to save it too?" I asked, not wanting to hear the answer.**

"**Yes, that is why you are here, not anywhere else. Now, we have to go. I have a pretty goods idea of where the Keyhole is," he replied as he jumped out of the window. Not wanting to die, I left down the steps and into the street. "My way was quicker," he said with a laugh. We took a right from the building and came upon a huge, white crater. Down at the bottom was a lone pillar. And on that pillar was a tiny hole, shaped like the keyholes on doors. There was no doubt about it, that was the keyhole.**

**Chapter II: Darkness Unleashed**

**We slowly descended the crater, cautious not to fall, until we reached the bottom. I jumped down from a ledge, and landed on my feet. I ran over to the Keyhole, and looked at it. I brought my Keyblade close to the hole, and a beam of light emitted from the end. It entered the hole, and I heard a sound like a key locking a latch. The pillar flashed dark, and another Spawn emerged from it.**

"**That is the guardian. We have to kill it," he said.**

"**Aww, it's just a Spawn, we can handle that," I replied.**

"**Guardian Heartless are more powerful than their counterparts. They COMMAND the Heartless in the world," he replied.**

**The Heartless looked at me, and pulled out a long sword. "You see? This Heartless took the form of what it wanted. It doesn't need a human."**

**I darted forward, and it slashed. I blocked it with my Keyblade and sidestepped, battering it with my Keyblade. The Heartless spun around and threw the sword. It nearly hit me, but I sidestepped, and it disappeared. A second later, it reappeared in the Spawn's black hands. The sword writhed, and split into two. My friend spun into action, and slashed at the creature, knocking one sword lose. I jumped in too and began slashing. **

**The creature was knocked back, and hit the pillar. The creature got up, and I said," It doesn't appear damaged." **

"**That's because its not. We aren't doing anything to it," he replied. The Heartless pointed at the Keyhole, and it flashed dark. Immediately clouds began to gather in the sky. "C'mon! We can't do anything now. We're to late!" He ran past the Heartless, and raised his Key to the sky. The clouds parted, and something sped towards the ground. It hit, and he got in. "Hurry!" I jumped in, and he powered it up. We blasted off the world, and all hell broke loose. **

**We reached space, and I looked back. The world slowly grew dim, and dark clouds encased it. Every so often, something would break through the clouds, but I couldn't see what they were. Soon, it was over, and the world was gone.**

**I cried, because my world was gone, the world I grew up on was gone. Not destroyed, but gone, as if it was never there.**


	3. Twilight Town

**Kingdom Hearts: A Final Memory**

**May it be noted that I in no way own the rights to Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Final Fantasy, or anything Disney. **

**Authors Note: Now that we are back on track, I give you: twilight Town**

**Chapter III: Twilight Town**

**As I looked back on where my home once was, the little man, Ricky was what he called himself, sped off, into the deepness of the nighttime sky. I couldn't help but wonder: what lies in store for me now? Will I have to go through this again? Will I ever find peace in life, and will I ever see my home again? I asked Ricky these questions over and over again, but he never answered. He checked some instruments on his monitor, and I finally asked the question that had been bugging me," What is this thing, and where are we going?"**

**His answer was something that I still do not fully understand, even today," This is a Gummi Ship. We are headed for Twilight Town."**

"**Where," I asked suspiciously.**

"**You'll know when we get there." I swear, talking to him was about as useful as talking to a brick wall. You can try, and try again, but you'll never get anything out of it. **

**Space is a very big place, but, up until then, I had had no idea about how big it was. It took us what felt like ages to get to where we were going. I would've looked out the cockpit shield, but there was nothing to see, most of the time. Once, we passed a planet. It was a little green sphere with a tiny village poking out the top, and a solitary ocean on the bottom. He called this one Ridge Village. The worlds weren't all that big, most were tiny. I was beginning to think Infinity City was the biggest one, until I saw Twilight Town.**

**Twilight Town was huge. Ricky must have been reading my mind, because he said," This is a relatively small place compared to others. Radiant Garden is bigger, way bigger. It used to be pleasant, but now the Garden has turned into a hell hole." He looked out the windshield and said:" Prepare for landing."**

"**Where the hell do we land?" I asked.**

"**There," he pointed to a little patch of land floating above the world. "There used to be a tower there, but it was destroyed years ago." We landed, and got out.**

"**Now what? We're stuck, aren't we?" I asked, perplexed.**

"**Don't judge the situation yet," he said mysteriously. He winked, and a train materialized from the darkness of space. "Here is the express." The train was purple with windows in the shape of stars. The train, from what I could tell, was ancient. The door slid back, and he stepped on. **

**The train began through space, but then blasted through a wall of light, and then, we arrived. This would be the grand central of Infinity. Only this one was smaller and way nicer. As it turned out, I was close to the name. It was called Station Plaza. Station Plaza was the very bottom of a gigantic clock tower that jutted out from the top of a hill. I guarantee that everyone could see it. On each side of the tower were four clear domes, each one a different color: yellow, green, red, and blue. I ran to the edge of the platform, and blasted out a pair of glass doors. I stood at a railing and looked down over the city.**

**I was speechless. This was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Pale orange sunlight beat down on the town, and cast such beautiful colors on buildings. Imagine Infinity City, with a sun, and much, much smaller, but on a bigger planet, and you'd have Twilight Town.**

"**Impressive, isn't it?" Ricky asked. **

"**Yes!" I replied, breathless. **

"**The sun beats down on it like this all day everyday. No one knows why, but they are happy."**

"**Well? Aren't we going to hunt for the Keyhole?" I asked.**

"**No. We won't find it unless we aren't looking for it," he replied sagely.**

"**What does that mean?"**

"**It means the Keyhole has to 'want' to reveal itself, we can't force it. The only reason I knew where the Keyhole was in Infinity City was because it had revealed itself earlier, that is why I knew the Heartless were there."**

**Authors Note: Test in Italics means text in third person, and usually somewhere else.**

**Meanwhile…**

**_A lone, solitary figure materialized out of thin air. He had a pale, ghost like face, and was clad in a dark cloak, that seemed to be made of shadows. His eyes were black spots drilled into his head. He stood tall, almost seven feet. He surveyed the city, and waved a hand to his left. Immediately, several Scorpions appeared. Scorpions are a little stronger than Shadow Spawn. The man commanded in a voice that would send a shiver down your spine," Find the bloody Keyhole. Kill whoever gets in your way." He had an accent, almost British. The Heartless obeyed, and scurried off to parts unknown…_**

**We walked around the city, and stopped in a lot. "Here is where fighting tournaments are held. And, speaking of fighting, you need to be trained. Let's begin," he said."**

"**Trained?" I croaked.**

"**Do you want to lose this planet? The Heartless aren't our only enemies."**

"**Who else is against us?" I replied, scared as hell.**

"**There are beings. Beings born of darkness. They control the Heartless, and are the strongest enemies you'll ever face. I don't expect we will be on this world very long, because the Heartless have been here for some time now, so that means the Keyhole is close to revealing itself. There are many beings of darkness. I expect we will meet one here soon," he said in a grave voice. "Now then, on to business."**

**I spent a few solid hours attempting to learn some valuable moves. I learned to block and strike by sparing with him. He would attack, I would block and then I would have to instantly counter-strike, or else my feet would be swept out from under me. I think we spent the most time on that. We also worked on balance. This one was tricky, because we had to use the benches around us to do it.**

**By far, the hardest move was the Blitzer. During this, you would fake a strike, and then sidestep around to the side and deliver a stab to the gut. I tell you, I got nailed many times on that one. Eventually, I saw my first Heartless of the world.**

**It was a small creature. It had eight little legs, and had very sharp pincers on the front. On the back was a raised tail with a sharp barb on the end. **

"**These guys are fast," he warned me. "They are stronger than the Spawn, but you have come a long way, so they shouldn't be too hard to destroy." I circled around, and the Scorpion matched my move. I could tell that this little beast was smarter than the Spawn too. I backed up a bit, and the Heartless pounced. I rolled to the side, and slashed. I caught it, and it went sailing back. It lunged, and I slashed again, but the creature caught the weapon in one of its little pincers. It held on for dear life as I smashed it into the side of a building. Ricky roared with laughter, and said," Be gone." He annihilated the Heartless with a wave of his hand. I looked at my hand, which I just now felt the pain. I saw a tiny little hole, and Ricky sealed it up with another blast of light. "Gotchya now did it?" We laughed, until he noticed something.**

"_**Amazing. The Keyhole of this wretched place was here the whole time. HEARTLESS! Return!" The Heartless warped in, but one was missing. "Huh? NO! They can't be here! I will find them myself!" The dark being glided over the city and spotted two people, and one held the Keyblade.**_

"**I told you that you would see one soon enough," Ricky said as he pointed to the sky. A malevolent figure glided down and hovered in the air. He had a pale face and dark black eyes. The cloak around his body seemed to be made entirely of shadows, as the hem of it flittered away with the wind, but always re-materialized.**

"**You!" he roared as he pointed at me. 'Die." He fired a blast of darkness, but I knew this was my test. This was what I had trained for. I slashed at it, and said," Light." The black projectile disintegrated. Ricky pulled out his weapon, and threw it. It hit the enemy, and appeared right back in his hand.**

"**You're too late!" the dark master cackled. "I have already found the Keyhole. But I will make sure you don't haunt me in the future." He materialized behind me and slashed with his arms, which now glowed with the power of darkness. His attacks hurt too! He attempted to attack again, but I blocked with one fluid motion and spun around for the counter attack, but he nailed me again. He was much faster than I could go. **

**He jumped over me and sidestepped. He was doing the Blitzer! But without the fake shot, I guess he was fast enough. I was thrown back, and he flew above the both of us. "And now! YOU DIE!" He brought his hands together, and a huge wave of darkness hovered down.**

"**We have to find the Keyhole, we aren't strong enough to beat him here," Ricky roared as he pulled me away from the battle. I glanced back and saw it hit, and destroy every living thing in the blast zone. Mental Note: Avoid this guy.**

"**Where are we going?" I inquired.**

"**Back to the station. Remember what he said: 'Right here all along?' I am certain that he found it at the station, because we have seen so few Heartless around, and also for that." He pointed to the station and I saw a huge Spawn moving towards the large glass doors.**

"**Are we only going to fight Spawn?" I complained. **

"**No, this isn't that big of a world, most of the time the smaller worlds have weaker Guardian Heartless," he replied. We kept moving up the ramps and access ways. Eventually, a bunch of Heartless stood between us, and Station Plaza. He told me to just run through, and slash if they got close enough, and slash when we started.**

**We did this. I ran into the fray, and slashed away. I knocked two of the Heartless into a wall, and some more into a food stall, turning it into ruble. When we finally emerged into Twilight Square, which stood between us and the creature, Ricky blasted the Spawn with light. The creature screamed, and turned around, and the battle began.**

**I jumped and the Spawn dove for Ricky. Ricky tried to put a stop to it, but he couldn't, so I rolled over to the Heartless, and stabbed it in the back. The creature screamed, but this time I was ready, I covered my ears, and jumped back. I had just remembered that I dropped my Keyblade, and I summoned it back the way I was shown how: I held out my hand like I held it horizontally in front of me, and it warped into my hand. For some odd reason, Ricky couldn't move, maybe he was unconscious, or maybe it was worse, I couldn't tell, so I did something that I will never forget. I held out my other hand, and his white Keyblade appeared.**

**I jumped and slashed with both. The Heartless blocked each and every shot I delivered, as did I, until I had backed him into a corner. With no room to maneuver, I stabbed both blades through its heart, and the creature sank to the ground.**

**The creature began to shake violently, and then it began to dissolve, piece by piece. In the end, a giant Heart floated away and disappeared too. Ricky's Keyblade warped back to him as he got up.**

"**What happened," he said groggily.**

"**The Heartless vanished, and a giant Heart came from it, and disappeared!"**

"**Then, it is time to save this world and seal the Keyhole. In their." He pointed in the station, and I saw the Keyhole on that same purple tram we had rode in on. I pushed the glass doors aside, and the Keyblade did something I will never forget, because I had to go through many times afterward.**

**As if attracted to the thing, the Keyblade lifted up, and hovered there, my arm still holding it. A circle of light appeared at the end, and a beam radiated from it, and then, the Keyhole was gone, in its place was its faint outline. I was now, a full-fledged Keybearer, as Ricky put it. This is how it all began.**

**End of Part I: The Return of the Keyblade**


	4. Thorn Island: Trouble on the High Seas

**Kingdom Hearts: A Final Memory**

**Part II: The First Memory**

**Chapter IV: Thorn Island: Trouble on the High Seas**

**Now that our mission in Twilight Town was over, we had time to tour the place. I was shown the wonders of a city I never knew existed. We hiked through a brief forest on the outskirts of town, and ended up at a mansion. He said we would look in the mansion later, since that was our ticket to the Gummi Ship, now that the train was gone. We took a different train to another side of Twilight Town. This side had gently rising two or three story homes that housed the many inhabitants of the town. He took me to the top of a large hill, which had the one story homes. At the top, we stopped and watched the most beautiful sunset my eyes had ever beheld. It was a gentle rolling sea of reds and yellows, mixed with a dark orange light that held them all in place. I looked over the hill and saw it reflecting off of the ocean, mixing the colors with the deep blues and gently rolling waves.**

"**Well, are you ready? The Heartless aren't here anymore, we have to move on," Ricky said as I awoke from my sleep one morning. We had rented an apartment in the residential district and had stayed a couple of days to absorb the sights. "The beings of darkness have moved on too. Our job is to stop them and the Heartless, we cannot do it here, but our fight may yet bring us here again."**

"**Yes. We have been here for far too long. I can feel the winds of change blowing yet again. We are going to change, and so is our fight, I can feel it," I replied, but I wasn't really ready to go. I longed to just stay behind and ignore our fight, just to stay there, but I knew that there was no way that would happen, not when I had the Keyblade in my possession. "I can feel it in my heart."**

"**Always trust your heart. It'll never lead you astray. If you feel things are about to change, change they shall," he replied, anxious for us to leave. He picked up his Keyblade, and held it out. "You will have to learn to do this. You can't carry it everywhere, but when you need it, it'll come." He headed for the door, and I followed suit.**

**We headed down the paths, and took a turn into the Underground Concourse. "Whoa! Aren't we going to Sunset Station?" **

"**No, this way is quicker, it'll put us out next to the forest," he let out, and walked in. He turned a corner, and descended down a flight of steps. "Hurry!" His tone was now harsh and urgent. "Heartless!"**

**That clicked me into gear. I ran down the steps two at a time, and landed on the bottom. I didn't see Spawns, or Scorpions, but I saw Shadows. The Shadows were weaker, but we still had to get rid of them, or else the Darkness could spread back to this world. I ran forward, and slashed, destroying one, but the other sank into the ground and disappeared.**

"**C'mon, we have to go, now!" I roared to Ricky.**

"**Yes," he gasped. "We have to go. This world was supposed to be safe, but its not. We can't do anything about it now, but if we stop the Heartless elsewhere, we may be able to stop them here later." There was truth in my words, and Ricky heard them. Minutes later he ran over to a staircase and bounded up. I followed, and saw him dart through the tunnel to the mansion. I unlocked the gate the way he showed me and we bounded inside.**

**The mansion foyer was a derelict place. Pieces of rubble littered the floor, and a glass case was shattered. He headed up a staircase, and entered what could only be described as a library. Inside, half of the floor was caved in, and he jumped to the bottom and headed through a door. Inside it was a dusty computer with many monitors. He headed through another door, and I thought: Does he even know where he is going?**

**We ended up in a white room with three green rings on the bright floor. It was here that it happened. I was walking across the room when I collapsed. My mind filled with what I could only think was the past:**

_**A young kid with spiky hair ran along metal catwalks that wrung the ceiling of a large complex. He raised a Keyblade that was black. The end of the blade was cut into intricate designs. He looked ahead and another person looked back.**_

"_**Hurry Sora! The Darkness is spreading. If we don't hurry, the Darkness will swallow all worlds! We must stop…"**_

**I regained consciousness in the Gummi Ship. I decided not to voice my vision, at least not yet. "Where are we going?"**

"**Glad you're still alive. I thought I had lost you. Anyway. The Ship detected a large outpouring of Darkness from Thorn Island."**

"**Thorn Island?" I asked.**

"**Yes, it's not very place, but it is a beautiful place to behold," he replied in a happy monotone. "Just wait a few minutes and we'll be coming up on the world." I waited impatiently, and kept turning my head from side to side, trying to see the new world. After about five minutes, I saw it.**

**At first I couldn't see the island, but then I could make out at leas two landmasses, both islands were small, but the bottommost one was the biggest. On that island, I could see a small village. The rest of the world was water. On the other island was a volcano that was spewing black smoke into space.**

**Ricky maneuvered the craft to a small third island that was far away from any other landmass. "There is one thing I want to know: what if some locals discover the Gummi Ship?"**

"**A lot of people know about the Gummi Ship, but some don't. Most will never find it either way," he replied mysteriously. "Just trust me; I think I know what I am doing." He popped the side latch and I jumped out, and promptly fell on to sand. "Hah. I should've mentioned the sand."**

"**You frigging think?" I replied, but grinned. **

**He pushed through a bush, and said," Traders use this island as a port. There is a small bay and a rather larger town here. We are going to try to catch a ride to the other side." I stumbled up and ran ahead. I emerged on the edge of a very crude town. In the bay was a large ship with three tall masts and many sails. On the highest sail was a large black bush with a shining sun setting behind it. "Thorn's Traders Union symbol; it is embroidered on all there merchandise and ships." I ran ahead down the path into the village. Ricky followed slowly, and stopped to pick up something.**

**We entered a low building with a tin roof. Inside was a solitary desk with a load of papers. Behind it sat a rugged looking man with a three day old beard and a faint mustache. He had long grisly hair, and a lit cigar was clenched in his lips. A thin line of smoke flowed freely towards the ceiling, and the air hung thick with it. I coughed in the hot air.**

"**You's got a problem?" the man asked in a rough voice. "What can I do's for yous guys?"**

"**We need passage to Thorn Island," Ricky said, taking the lead.**

"**You two look like you could serve some use. Maybe I got somethin' for you. After our last voyage, we're short a few guards. We could use ya'," he barked with an accent. When he opened his mouth, I saw that he had jagged yellow teeth. He then looked up from his paperwork. "We hoist sail in ten minutes. Be at the ship, or you'll have to barter passage elsewhere."**

**We decided not to wait and headed straight for the ship. A wide board led up to the main deck, and we ascended it. At the top we ran into a nicely dressed sailor. He had us halt. "We are here for passage to Thorn Island."**

"**Oh yeah, the Captain said something about you. New guards. We must keep a watch out for pirates, that is how we lost our last batch of guards. Just stay up top, and keep an eye out," he said. We took a seat up top, and waited.**

**It didn't take long until the Captain appeared. It was the same guy we had met in the building. He began barking orders to the crew: "Hoist anchor! Raise the sails, let's get started. I want to make landfall before night. Set sail!" That is how our zany adventure on Thorn began.**

**The ship glided out of the bay and into open water. The large, billowy sails caught a gust of wind and the ship shot forward. It was around sunset when it happened.**

**We were stationed up in the wheelhouse when the First Mate stormed in," Sir! Ship approaching off the starboard side and it bears the skull and crossbones. Pirates!"**

"**Battle stations! Pirate attack!" The Captain yelled.**

"**Sir1 I know that ship, if their Captain appears, we cannot win!" One sailor yelped.**

"**Why?" the Captain snapped back.**

"**He is a legendary marksman; he is responsible for all the loss of our trade."**

"**Aye, damn."**

"**Aye."**

**The Pirate ships halted, and the enemy stormed the ship. It started with cannons, lots of cannons. At the end, the ship was full of holes. Then, a group of pirates raided the ship, followed by a man I could only say was their Captain.**

"**Greetings Gents!" he exclaimed. "My name is Captain Vidan, I know you know who I am. You stand no chance, so why don't you just surrender here, and I won't kill you, I'll leave that to the waters." He was a short man with bright green eyes. He had cropped grey hair and a large feathered hat. At his waist hung a cutlass, a very sharp cutlass. He looked serious...Deadly serious.**


	5. Following the Trail

**Kingdom Hearts: A Final Memory**

**Chapter V: Following the Trail**

"**Well, what have we here?" the Captain of the enemy asked when we were safely docked on a barren island. "A little boy, and a foolish old man. What were ye trying to pull? Arg, ye can't stop me, or me underlings, you be too weak." He had captured us and sunk the ship. Let me just recount how it happened.**

**Captain Vidan had appeared on our ship and began taking the many products the traders had trusted us with. We rushed forward, by we I mean me, and attacked. Basically, we were crushed. The other guards fought more defensively, but were quickly eliminated. Our guards had pistols, but so did some of the pirates.**

**We scrambled to form a defensive line as the enemy closed in. The others raised their pistols, as did I. I aimed and fired, missing one of the pirates and hitting the side of the ship. The other guards rushed them, and were quickly cut down. Their bodies were dumped off the ship and sank into the roaring ocean.**

"**Now then: there be anyone else who wants to swim?" Vidan asked the few remaining guards and sailors. We were tired by now and barely had the strength to even lift our blades, but we rushed anyway. We didn't get far. He pulled out a very thin sword. He blocked our shots, and lashed back. The force of the blow pushed us back. "Make another move and I'll be killin the young one here. Now, load up the booty." **

**We both realized we couldn't win, so we began to help load the cargo onto the **_**Iron Hawk**_**, Vidan's ship. When it was finished, he said," That you for your help. Now, let's see how long you can survive here. If you get to land, I'll know that you're stronger than the average grunt. If you don't, well, one less thorn in my side." He and his men boarded the ship and sailed off towards the volcano.**

"**Well, Ricky? How do we get out of this?" I asked, knowing the answer wouldn't be pretty. **

"**Salvage the ship, and then we use the planks as a raft. Thorn Island isn't far, maybe half a day of normal speed," Ricky said. It wasn't as gruesome as I thought it would be, but it still would leave us both sore for a good long while.**

**We gathered up pieces of wood and lashed them together with rope. The sun was starting to sink. **

"**This is good," Ricky said.**

"**Why?" I asked.**

"**Because when the sun sets here, the wind reverses itself…towards our destination. We can use that to our advantage," Ricky replied smugly. It didn't take us long to fashion together our crude transportation, and when we finished, the wind started howling towards the way we wanted to go. We climbed aboard, and the wind whisked us away to Thorn Island.**

**After a few minutes of smooth sailing, we finally saw a huge island in the distance. On it was a large, medieval style town, complete with castle and docks. As we got closer, we could see people milling about in the streets, going from here to there, buying this and that, and all around being normal. Soon, we approached the docks, and the wind died down. We tied our little raft to the pier, as set foot on Thorn Island.**

"**Welcome to Thorn Island," said a dockworker. "Will you be needin anything?"**

"**Yes, we will need to see the Trade Master, and soon," Ricky replied.**

"**Right you are sir," the dockworker replied. "He should be in his office on the second floor of the of Castle Backwind."**

"**Why is it called Castle Backwind?" I asked Ricky.**

**He replied," Every time a new Trade Master is named, the name of the castle becomes his last name. He is sort of like the king." And so, we went towards the Castle, pausing only for food in a small tavern…**

…**We walked in a very fast pace down a hall in the castle and knocked on a heavy wooden door. A man inside curtly said," Come in." The door opened and a tall man awaited us behind a desk.**

**He rose, outstretched his arms and said," Ricky! My old friend. How long it's been!"**

"**Yes, it has been a while. Have you managed what I asked you?" Ricky asked. **

"**Ah the keyhole? Yes I have. You'll not like where it is, not one bit," he replied.**

"**And why is that?" I asked.**

"**Because it in embedded in the mast of the **_**Iron Hawk**_**," he said, frowning slightly. "Which, lucky for you, the **_**Iron Hawk **_**is on the list of arrivals tonight for the docks. The captain won't leave the ship, but I can guarantee most of the crew will be located in the many taverns spread throughout Thorn Island."**

"**Well then, the **_**Iron Hawk **_**is the right place to be, and we will be there," Ricky said. "We will of course wait for nightfall, which isn't long." Both Ricky and I glanced out the window, and spotted a large ship proceed to the harbor. The **_**Iron Hawk**_** had arrived.**

"**Should I send some men with you?" Trade master Backwind asked.**

"**No, this is out task," Ricky replied.**

"**Then let us talk business," Backwind said happily, pouring us each a dark blue drink. I sat in a corner and tuned it out. I spent most of my time thinking about what I had seen in this little part of my life, and it scared me. Ships, Heartless, and the darkness? It was all to complicated to understand. Soon, darkness fell, and lights blazed from windows down below.**

"**Well," Ricky said seriously. "Time to go." He got up and sped out of the room, with me right on his heels. We raced back down the hall and down two flights of stairs and out the front of the castle. We didn't take the main road this time, but we took the backroads. We were about to turn down another road that would lead us to the ship, but something made me stop. **

**In the darkness, a pair of soft, yellow eyes pulsed gently. The Heartless were here. They sensed the keyhole was close, and they took the bait. I did not panic, but I stood and waited. Ricky was already on the ship by now and he had no clue I stayed behind. The Heartless soared out of the shadows, gliding through the air on regal wings. Unlike the others, this one wasn't black. The tips of its wings were a dark shade of red while its underbelly was white. The rest of its body was dark green. **

**Its curved beak unleashed a caw into the night and it dove. I blocked and slashed, destroying it. Three more formed in the darkness. I destroyed them too. Then, I hightailed it to the **_**Iron Hawk.**_** Onboard, Vidan and Ricky stood facing each other on opposite sides of the ship. I stood in the middle. **

"**I thought you were dead," Vidan sneered.**

"**Well, you thought wrong, and now you will pay for your mistake," Ricky replied coldly.**

"**I probably would…normally, but not when the power of the darkness courses through my veins," Vidan roared. He pulled out a pistol, and began to fire…**

"_**I can sense the uncertainly in you, the fear, the…rage. Vidan, this can lead to your downfall, or your salvation. Join me, and when the time comes, you will live again in the heart of everlasting darkness."**_

_**Vidan looked around. For some odd reason he was not on his ship. He was in a large room carved out of rock. On the walls were endless pictures in crumbling picture frames. In those pictures, happy looking kids smiled with a shadowy figure. Each fram only held two people. **_

"_**Unleash your rage and your inner pain! NOW!"**_

**Vidan regained his composure on the deck on the **_**Iron Hawk**_** in time to block a shot from Ricky and a shot from behind. He last tried to fire his gun, but Ricky deflected it and kicked it out of his hands. Vidan twirled a nasty sword through the air. **

**I rushed forward from behind and slashed, but he expertly blocked it and smashed the blunt side of the blade against my leg. It stung, but nothing was broken. He concentrated on Ricky, but still managed to block my shots…Until I nailed him in the head. His hands flew up, massaging the wound on his head. He doubled over, and groaned.**

**He regained his strength, and began radiating pure darkness. He attacked with renewed vigor until he started slowing down.**

"**Now!" Ricky roared. **

**We both held our Keyblades to his head and stabbed. Our blades met in the middle, and his head was severed from his body. His body began to dissolve and his head smiled and said," Your time will come soon." With that, he was gone for what I hoped was forever.**

**A light came from behind us. The keyhole had activated, and now was the time to close it for good. I held my Keyblade up as before and the beam emanated from it. The keyhole pulsed loudly and the heartless attacked. We prepared to defend ourselves, but the Keyhole pulsed more rapidly and the Heartless disintegrated. The Keyhole sealed itself, and the ship began to shudder. It was sinking.**


End file.
